SUNUNU PUSHING FOR INFORMATION SERVICE TREATMENT OF VOIP
With the Senate Commerce Committee preparing to examine VoIP this week, Sen. Sununu (R-N.H.) told us he believed the FCC should classify VoIP as an information service, which would be subject to lighter FCC regulation. Sununu has said he would introduce a VoIP bill soon that would call for that classification, as well as preempt much state and local jurisdiction over VoIP. “I don’t know if it’s clear that the FCC has jurisdiction in all cases,” Sununu said. “There’s a lack of clarity in the statute. Clearly, it’s interstate commerce and legislation should clearly define VoIP as an information service and establish a regulatory framework.”
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FCC Chmn. Powell will testify at the Commerce Committee hearing 9:30 a.m. Tues., Russell Bldg. Rm. 253. Other witnesses will include: Vonage Chmn. Jeffrey Citron, Time Warner Cable Chmn. Glenn Britt, CenturyTel Chmn. Glen Post, NARUC Pres. Stan Wise and Kevin Werbach, founder of Supernova Group.
Sununu said his VoIP bill would address other issues relating to VoIP. Universal service fund, law enforcement, Internet tax and enhanced 911 (E911) could affect how VoIP develops, Sununu said. The bill “will address those issues, but not resolve them,” he said, and language in the bill will “push the discussion and debate in a way that moves us away from discriminating against different types of data or different types of networks.”
Sen. Alexander (R-Tenn.) will also be at the hearing to pitch his Internet tax moratorium legislation, which could affect VoIP distribution. Alexander has proposed a 2-year extension of the lapsed moratorium. Sen. Allen (R-Va.) is pushing S-150, which would make the moratorium permanent. But there are some questions about how the bills would affect VoIP. The National Governors Assn. (NGA) and the National Assn. of Counties believe that under Allen’s approach VoIP could become exempt from taxes and cost states billions in revenue. Allen has suggested adding language to the bill that would exempt VoIP from the moratorium . Sununu is one of 11 co-sponsors of Allen’s bill. Sen. Wyden (D-Ore.) supports Allen’s approach, though he’s not officially a co- sponsor.
Sununu said his bill wouldn’t be ready for the hearing, but it should be ready for introduction within a few weeks. The bill will focus on protecting consumers, not “industry incumbents” or state regulatory bodies, he said. Also, while not much is expected from Congress on telephony this election year, Sununu said he would push for passage of this legislation. “Innovation doesn’t wait for elections,” he said. Sununu wouldn’t say who might co-sponsor the bill but said he was talking to Republicans and Democrats in both chambers.
Sununu also said he supported the FCC’s recent ruling on Pulver.com. “It’s indication they're heading in the right direction,” Sununu said. The FCC ruled last week that a Pulver.com service with VoIP features was a generally unregulated information service and subject to federal regulation (CD Feb 13 p1).